Vine carrier and storage apparatus for hop-picking machines



May 27, 1958 F. F. DAUENHAUER VINE CARRIER AND STORAGE APPARATUS FORHOP-PICKING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1954 Wm H A 1' TINVENTOR FLOR IAN F- DAUENHAUER WTW- AT TORNEYS May 27, 1958 F. F.DAUENHAUER 2,336,123

VINE CARRIER AND STORAGE APPARATUS FOR HOP-PICKING MACHINES 1 Filed Dec.22, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FLORIAN F DALJENHAUER BY r A-r-roRNEYs May 27, 1958 F. F. DAUENHAUER 2,336,128

VINE CARRIER AND STORAGE APPARATUS FOR HOP-PICKING MACHINES 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 22, 1954 INVENTOR FLORIAM F- DALJENHAUER mun79%,-

ATTORNEY y 27, 1 F. F. DAUENHAUER 2,836,128

VINE CARRIER AND STORAGE APPARATUS FOR HOP-PICKING MACHINES Filed Dec.22, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS y 27, 1 F. F. DAUENHAUER 2,336,123

VINE CARRIER AND STORAGE APPARATUS FOR HOP-PICKING MACHINES 6Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 22, 1954 INVENTOR F'LORIAN F3 DAUENHAUERATTORNEYS y 27, 1958 F. F. DAUENHAUER 2,836,128

VINE CARRIER AND STORAGE APPARATUS FORHOP-PICKING MACHINES 6Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 22, 1954 INVENTOR FLOR IAN FT DAUENHAUER WmWick ATTORNEYS United States Patent 9 VINE CARRIER AND TORAGE APPARATUSFQR HGP-PICKHI G MACHINES Florian F. Dauenhauer, Santa Rosa, ApplicationDecember 22, 1954, Serial No. 477,'2-9

3 Clmhns. (Cl. 1il4-9l) In the vertical hop-picking machines shown in myPatent No..2,677,378, issued May 4, 1954, and in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 268,840, filed January 29, 1952, now Patent No.2,757,785, issued August 7, 1956, I disclose an endless chain withcarriers thereon that extends from a point near the ground to the top ofthe hop-picking machine and then extends throughout the length of themachine. Dificulty was experienced in keeping a steady feed of hop vinesto the machine because there was a time lag caused by replacing an emptytruck that had just had all of its vines unloaded, with a full truck.Also, it was found that when a truck was being unloaded, a larger numberof vines could be fed to the hopicking machine than could beconveniently handled thereby.

In order to overcome the time lost between the changing of an emptytrucl: for a full one and to overcome a possible surplus of feeding tothe hop-picking machine when a. truck was being unloaded, l have deviseda vine carrier and storage apparatus in which separate vine carriers areheld in readiness in a gravity-feed storage arrangement Where onecarrier at a time is moved into a feed station where a hop vine isattached thereto, after which the carrier is elevated to the top of thedevice. Here a second storage facility holds the carriers and theirvines in readiness for a transfer operator to transfer one vine at atime to another carrier that will convey the vine through thehop-picking machine. It is possible for one or two truck-unloadingoperators, who unload a truck full of vines, to attach these vines tothe vine carriers that elevate them to the second storage facilityfaster than the transfer operator can conveniently feed them to thehop-picking machine. The second storage facility, arranged at the top ofthe machine, will take care of this more rapid feeding of the hop vinesand carriers and permitthe transfer operate-rte transfer the vines at auniform speed from the carriers to other carriers that convey the vinesthrough the hop-picking machine. The intermittent feeding of the vinesto the second storage facility is thus smoothed out and time is givenfor the truck operators to remove and unload a truck and substitute afilled one without any loss of time to the actual feeding of hop vinesto the machine.

vA further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed in which an endless track is used for supporting theindividual hop-vine carriers and this track includes a first gravityfeed station where one carrier at a time has a vine attached thereto;and a second gravity transfer station where one carrier at a' time isfreed of its vine and the vine is transferred to the hop pickingmachine. An elevator is associated with Novel means are also providedfor preventing any of r 6 2,836,128 Patented May 27, 1958 the dogs onthe endless elevator chain when accidentally contacting with the top ofthe vine carrier from damaging it. In case a dog on the elevator doescontact with the carrier top, the carrier is then travelling in aswingable portion of the endless track and this portion will betemporarily swung into an inoperative position and will permit the dogto free itself from the carrier without injuring the mechanism. Thehinged portion of the track will then return to normal position and thenext dog on the endless elevator chain will contact with the back of thecarrier and move it up the elevator.

ther objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novelfeatures of the device will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

Drawings My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan schematic view of the device, shown in itsrelation to a hop-picking machine;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken along the line Il-II of Figure 1and illustrates the inverted U-shaped frame for supporting the loopedtrack portion that acts as a storage for empty vine carriers and alsosupports the lower end of the vine elevator;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of Figure 1 and shows the endless trackand elevator schematically, and illustrates the vine carriers arrangedin succession along the track;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of a vine stopper placed in a positionwhere the vines are transferred to the hoppicking machine, and is takenalong the line IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure '5 is a front elevational view of the vine feedstation shown indetail and on a larger scale, the portion of the endless track shown inthis figure being indicated by the bracketed portion V in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a substantially horizontal view of the feed station and istaken along the line VIVI of Figure 5;

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are transverse sections taken along the lines VIIVII,VlIl-Vlll and lXlX of Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the vine elevatoras indicated by the bracketed tion X in Figure 3;

Figure 11 is a transverse section taken along the line XlXI of Figure10.;

Figure 12 is a front elevation or the upper portion of the vine elevatoras illustrated by the brack ted portion XII in Figure 3; and.

Figure 13 is an isometric view on a larger scale of the pick-01f fingerfor successively removing the vine carriers from the top of the vineelevator.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, itshould beunderstood that various changes or modifications may be made within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

In carrying out my invention, 1 show my device schematically in Figures1 and 3 in its relation to a hop-picking machine indicated generally .atA, this machine preferably being of the vertical type shown in my patentand co-pending application already mentioned. The device in its broadscope comprises an endless track I for supporting and moving individualvine carriers rather than permanently securing the carriers to anendless chain. If Figures 1 and 3 are examineithe portion of the endlesstrack indicated by the bracket V, represents the feed station of thetrack. it is at this point that the hop vines are attached .to theindividual carriers C as the vines are ure 3.

' e 3 removed from a truck indicated generally at B in Fig- From thefeed station D the vine carriers C are moved upwardlyby an elevatorindicated generally at E and, whenthe vines reach thetop of theelevator, they are transferred from it .to a downwardly inclined gravityportion P- of -the endless track. The vines move along this gravityportion of the track to a looped portion indicated at F and thisconstitutes a storage magazine for the carriers that are supportingvines. The carriers with their vines will move along the downwardlyinclined portion of the track from the looped portion F until they cometo a vine transfer station represented by a vine-stopping member G,shown in Figures 1 and 3 and in detail in Figure 4. An operator standson a platform H' disposed at the transfer station, and removes the vinesfrom the vine carriers and transfers them to a horizontal vine carrierindicated by the dot-dash line A in the hop-picking machine A.

As soon as the individualvine carriers C are freed of their hop vines atthe transfer station G, they will move down wardly along the inclinedtrack R to a second looped portion I that constitutes a second storagemagazine for hold- 7 ing the empty vine carriers From the second storagemagazine I, the empty vine carriers C are fed one at a time to the feedstation D as they are needed. This completes one cycle of the endlesspath taken by the vine carriers C and a detailed description of eachportion of the endless track I will now be given.

H p vine feed station is shown in Figure 7, and it will be seen thatthis portion takes the shape of'an inverted U with inwardly and up- 7wardlycurved guides 1 and 2 arranged atthe lower edges of the legs orsides of the U. The vine carriers C have rollers 3 that ride in theguides 1 and 2.

Each vine carrier includes the two rollers 3 and these support adownwardly extending bar 4 and the lower end of the bar is provided withaV-shaped crotch 5 and an inverted U-shaped end 6. a Figure 5illustrates how one or two vines, indicated at K,can have their stemends passed over the crotch 5 and under the inverted (J -shaped end 6,and in this way the vine is secured to the vine carrier C so as to besupported thereby. Usually two vines are grown together in the hop fieldand these two 7 vines have their stems twisted about each other so as toconstitute a single stem and it is this stem that is placed in thecrotch 5 and in the inverted U-shaped end 6 of the vine carrier C.

The vine carriers C have spacing members 7 and 8 I integral therewithand of the shape shown in Figure 5.

\Nhen the vine carriers are empty, the spacing member; 7

of one carrier will contact with the spacing members of the adjacentcarrier and these two will prevent the rollers or wheels 3 of the twocarriers from contacting each other. a

The end of the lower looped portion 1' communicates with the vine feedstation D and Figures 5, 6 and 8 illustrate the construction of the feedstation. Thisjstation has two side walls 9--9 and the lower edges of thewalls have channels 10-10 welded thereto. These channels 10-10 faceupwardly and are adapted to receive and support the rollers 3 of thevine carriers C. The channels 10-10 are inclined downwardly as clearlyshown in Figure 5, and therefore the vine carriers will move along thevine feed station D by gravity. l The tops of: the side walls 9-9areinterconnected by a cross-piece 11, see Figure 8, and the bottoms ofthe upwardly turned channels 10-10 are reinforced byangle members 12-12.

.Therdepending portions of the angle members 1212 1 forma passage, aswell as a guide, for the depending bar 4 of the vine carriers C.

I provide novel means for feeding one vine carrier at a time into thefeed station D, and for spacing this vine carrier from the others sothat the operator will have room in which to take the stem or" the hopvine K and hook it over the crotch 5 and under the inverted U-shaped end6 for securing the vine to the carrier. A star or escapement wheel L isrotatably mounted between the sides 99 and is placed in a position freeof the end. of the cross-piece 11 and so mounted that one of its fourarms 13 will depend into the passageway afforded by the sides 9 of thevine feed station D. Figure 5 shows a'dependther movement along thegravity feed station channels 10- 10. The other carriers C placed to theright of the one held bythe star wheel in Figure 5, will contact, eachother as indicated in this figure and will congregate on the loopedportion J as shown'in Figure 3. This looped portion acts as a storagemagazine for holding a plurality of the empty carriers.

The star wheel L has another arm 13b that is engaged by a stop 14 andthis stop is carried by a strap 15 that is supported at its right end bya link 16. The left-hand end of the strap is pivotally connected to anarm 17 and this arm in turn is pivoted at 18 and carries a dependingtrigger 19that holds a vine carrier C shown bythe dotdash line in Figure5 ina position where the operator can hook a vine on it. When the vineK'has been attached to the carrierC, the operator moves the carrier tothe left in Figure 5, so as to swing the trigger 19 fromits dependingdotted line position into a dot-dash line release position shown in thesame figure. The swinging of the trigger to free the vine carrier fromthe feed station D will swing the arm 17 and move the strap 15 to theright and free the stop 14 from the arm 13b of the star or escapementwheel. This will bring a second stop 20, carried by the strap 15, into aposition where it will engage with the arm 131:, as this arm is moved ina clockwise direction by the carrier C. The carrier in turn is urgedagainst the arm by gravity. Therefore the stop 20 will permit the starwheel to rotate through an arcof 90 iand allow the next carrier C tomove into the feed station. The succeeding empty carrier will now moveinto contacting position with the arm 13b which has now been swung intoa depending position.

A'torsional spring 21 on the link 16 will swing the strap 15 to the leftin Figure 5', and move the stop20 each time the trigger 19 is swung andthe star Wheel'will act as a gate for permitting one vine carrier C at atime to pass into the feed station."

As soon as the carrier C with its vine K is moved past the releasetrigger 19, the carrier will continue in its movement by gravity towardthe base of the elevator E. This elevator has an endless chain 22 whichis composed of links and certain of these links carry dogs 23 that aredesigned to engage with successive' vine carriers C and move them up theelevator. It may happen that the outer end of a dog 23 will contact withthe top of a vine- Baffle! rather than engage with the back of thecarrier and, should this occur, some means mustbe provided for freeingthe carrier from the dog, between the parts would occur.

otherwise breakage Carrier release I will therefore describes the novelcarrier releasemeans shown in Figures 5, 6 and 9 before describing indetail the elevator E. It will'be seen from Figure 5 that the side walls9 pivotally carry an inverted t'J-shaped frame 24 and Figure 9 shows thesides of the frame straddling sesame the side walls 9 and beingpivotally carried by pins 25 that in turn are mounted in brackets 26which are secured to the side walls 9. U-shaped channels 27 have theirends secured to the downwardly depending sides of the U-shaped frame 24and these ends are adapted to register with the ends of the channels 10,so that the rollers 3 of the carriers C can move from the fixed channelsonto the swingable channels 27. Coil springs 28 are attached to thechannels 27 and to the side walls 9 for yieldingly urging the channelsinto contact with the under-edges of the side walls 9. The channels 27may be reinforced by angle members 29 in the same manner as the anglemembers 12 reinforce the channels 10.

In Figure 5 the left-hand end of the channels 27 are shown provided witha slight concave curve at 27a and this curve permits the channels tofeed the rollers 3 of the carriers C onto a curved portion 30a ofupwardly inclined channels 39 that form a part of the elevator E. Thechannels 36 extend upwardly to the top of the elevator in a mannerpresently to be described.

If a dog 23 on the endless chain 22 should strike the top of a carrier Cas the latter moves from the trigger 1'9 toward the base of the elevatorE, the dog, as it moves through an arcuate path around a sprocket 31,will press upon the top of the carrier and tend to move it downwardly.This movement is permitted by the hinged channels 27 which will swingabout the pivots and move with the angle irons 29 as a unit into thedot-dash line position shown in Figure 5. The contacting of the dog withthe top of the carrier will stop temporarily the travel of the carrieralong the hinged channels 27 and. as soon as the dog is carried aroundthe sprocket 31 far enough to free the carrier, the springs 28 willimmediately return the channels 27 to the full line position shown inFigure 5. The carrier will then move into the curved portion 3% of theelevator E by gravity. The carrier will remain in the curved portionuntil the next dog 23 on the endless chain 22 comes into contact withthe back of the carrier and Will move it upwardly along the elevator E.The frame 24 rigidly connects the two channels 2'7 together, andtherefore the frame will swing about the pivots 25 as the channels areswung downwardly. This carrier release mechanism is automatic inoperation and will prevent any breakage between a dog and a vine carriershould the dog strike the top of the carrier.

Vine carrier elevator The vine carrier elevator E is indicatedschematically in Figure 3, and the lower portion of the elevator isshown in Figures 5 and 10, while the upper portion is shown in Figure12. A cross-section of the elevator is shown in Figure 11 and thereforeboth Figures 10 and 11 will now be considered. The elevator E has anelongated, upwardly inclined frame in which the side angle irons 32 arespaced apart and used as parts of the frame. Figure 10 illustrates thelowermost pair of angle irons 32 as supporting bearings that rotatablycarry the sprocket 31 for the endless chain 22. Spacing members 33 aresecured to the lower ends of the side angle irons 32, see Figure 11, andthese in turn support the channels 3%) on which the wheels 3 of thecarriers C ride. I have already explained how the channels have a lowercurved portion 39a which communicates with the free ends of theswingable channels 27.

The channels 30 extend through the entire length of the upwardlyinclined elevator E and provide a path over which the rollers 3 travelas the carriers are moved upwardly along the elevator by the dogs 23.The channels 3% may be reinforced by angle irons 33, see Figure 11, andthe depending portions of these angle irons are spaced apart to providea passage for the bars 4 of the vine carriers C.

I provide means in the elevator for supporting and guiding the lowerreach of the endless chain so that this portion of the chain will moveparallel with the channels 30. In Figure 10 I show links disposedadjacent to the dogs 23 as having outwardly extending fingers 34. Fi ure11 illustrates the fingers 34 as riding on elongated guide angles 35that extend throughout the length of the elevator. The finger guideangles 35 are supported by the side angle irons 32. A bar 36 extends thefull length of the elevator E and is supported by cross-pieces 37 whichin turn are secured to the angle irons 32. The guide bar as will becontacted by the rollers interconnecting the links on the endless chain22 and will keep the lower reach of the chain in parallel relation withthe channels 3%). It will therefore be seen that the fingers 34 ridingon the guide angles 35 will prevent downward movement of the lower reachof the endless chain in Figure 11, while the bar 36 will prevent uppermovement. The side angles 32 are arranged at intervals along the lengthof the elevator E.

In Figure 10, I show the central guide bar 36 extending to a pointadjacent to the sprocket 31. In order to prevent the links of the chain22 from tending to carry around with the periphery of the sprocket, asthe latter rotates, I provide stationary fingers 38 and place one oneach side of the central bar 36 as clearly shown in Figure l1, and thesestationary fingers extend beyond the bar 36 and straddle a portion ofthe sprocket 31. The purpose of these fingers is to cause them tocontact with the links of the endless chain 22 and guide the lower reachof the chain off from the sprocket 31 and under the central guide bar36, whereupon the rest of the movement of the lower reach along theentire length of the elevator E, is made in contact with the centralbar.

Figure 10 shows the lower reach of the endless chain 22 with a dog 23moving one of the vine carriers C upwardly along the channels 30 in theelevator. The bar 4 of the carrier will hang downwardly as indicated andthe vine K will be supported by the carrier. In this way the carriersare moved along the elevator until they reach the top.

Before describing how the vine carriers are removed from the elevator,it is best to set forth how the upper reach of the endless chain 22 issupported. The elevator frame has cross-pieces 39 that are carried bythe side angle irons 32 and these cross-pieces support elongated angleiron guides 49 which take the place of the channels 30, because no vinecarriers C are returned along the upper reach of the endless chain 22.Figure 11 also illustrates the fingers 34 on certain of the endlesschain links as riding on the angle irons 40. In addition, a central bar41, carried by the cross-pieces 39, supports the rollers on the upperreach of the endless chain, and in this way the upper reach is spacedfrom the lower reach and is supported while the chain is free to move.

The upper end of the elevator E is illustrated in detail in Figure 12.The channels 38 are shown terminating.

adjacent to a top angle iron 42. It should be noted that the channels 39are reinforced throughout their entire lengths by the angle irons 33.Bearings 43 are carried by the top of the elevator frame and in turnthey rotatably su port a shaft 4 which has a sprocket 31 mountedthereon. The endless chain 22 is passed around this sprocket.

Any means for moving the endless chain may be used. I show one mechanismin Figure 12 and this comprises a motor M that has belt-drive connection45 that rotates a large sheave 46. The sheave 46 is mounted on acounter-shaft 47 and this shaft has a small sheave 43 keyed thereto. Abelt 4-9 connects the small sheave 43 with a larger sheave 5%, that inturn is keyed to the shaft 44. The shaft 44 has the top sprocket 31keyed thereto and the endless chain 22 is passed around the sprocket.The bearings 43 may be adjusted for moving the top sprocket and takingup slack. When the motor M is connected to a source of current, theendless chain 22 will be moved at the proper speed for lifting vine carap i 7 V riers C in the elevator E. The top sprocket is shownschematically at 31 in Figure 3.

In Figures 12 and 13 I show a carrier removing finger N and this fingeris curved as illustrated and extends from the guide angles 35 to thegravity portion P of the endless track J. The finger N is bifurcated andthe two tines 51 thus formed are spaced apart to permit the endlesschain 22 to pass therebetween. The'tines will guide the rollers 3 of thecarriers C, ofi from the upwardly inclined channels 30 and will causethem to enter a gravityportion P of the endless track that is the samein cross section as that shown at J in Figure 7. I

Referring to Figure 3, I indicate the carrier-removing finger Nby asingle heavy curved line and I further indicate the gravity portion P ofthe endless track I, by a heavy line. parallellines in Figure l and itconveys the vine carriers C to the looped or curvedportion Fthatconstitutes an The gravity portion P is shown by two .upper storagemagazine for. the loaded carriers. 'It is possible'for the 'vines'andcarriers to be more closely bunched as they travel along the gravityportion P from the carrier removing finger N to the storage portion Fand on to the transfer station G. The advantages of this will be setforth more clearly in the description of the operation of theentire'device.

An' operator'is stationed on a platform H adjacent to the transfer pointG,where he can reach vines K that have been stopped in their travelalong the gravity portion of the track, by coming into contact with .thestop member G of the type shown in Figure 4. The operator removes thevines from the carriers, one at a time, at this point and attaches themto vine carriers, not shown, that are arranged on'a horizontal vinecarrier indicated schematically bythe'dot-dash line A in Figure 1. Thisvine carrier A transports the vines through the hop-pickingmachine Awhere the endless vertical belts Q carry the hop-pickingifinger's, notshown, that will strip the trigger 19 by the operator and this willswing the trigger for releasing the next empty vine carn'er C and permit.it to move into the feed, station D by gravity The one or two operatorsstandingon the truck platfor1n-52 may attachthe vines K to the carriersC as rapidly as-they desire. Adequate space is afforded at the feedstation for one carrier and the other empty carriers will be kept awayby the star wheel L, so that it will be easyto attach the vine to thecarrier that is temporarily in this station. The star Wheel L will holdall of the remaining empty carriers in a position ,where they will be inreadin'essto move into the feed or loading station D as required. Thestar wheel L will feed only one empty carrier C at a time, and this isonly 'donejwhen a loaded carrier is freed from thefeed station asalready explained.

I have already described how the hinged track portion 27 can swing intothe dot-dash line positionfshown in vines of their ho'ps as they movebetween the vertically arranged belts. It will be noted from Figures 3and 4 that thestop member G is disposed below the forward part of theinclined track of the upper magazine portion,

at a sufiicient distance for passage of the carriers C thereover, afterthe hop vines. K have been removed from the carriers. The vinesdepending from the carriers contact the 'stop member G rather than thecarriers. from its vine K, it will travel along the gravity portion R ofthe endless track I, until it comes to the lower looped end I thatconstitutes the lower magazine for empty car- .riers. At this point theempty vine carriers are free to contact with each other and will remainin readiness to be fed oneat a time into the-vine-feeding station D inthe manner'already described. If desired, some retarding means may beused for slowing down the movement of the vine carriers as they descendalong the portion R from. the transfer station G to the lower loopedportion J. r

Operation .From the foregoing description of the various parts of thedevice, the operationthereof may be readily understood. In Figures 1 and3 I show a vine-carrying truck B of the type shown in my Patent No.2,685,773, issued August 10, 1954, on a method of harvestingandtransporting hop vines. The truck has a platform 52, see Figure3, thathas upstanding bars 53 at its forward end which are spaced apart'forreceiving the stub ends 54 of the vines As soon as the vine carrierC is freed K. The truck is placed in a position where the platform 52will be adjacent to the feed station D of the endless track J Thestation D is shown in detail in Figure Sand the portion it occupies inthe endless track 1, is illus trated by the bracket V' in Figure 3.

The stub end 54 of a vine K is attached to the vine carrier C at thefeed station D in themanner already described and then the loadedcarrier is moved past'the clined track portion; individual vine carrierseach having Figure 5 in case one of the dogs 23, on the endless elevatorchain 22, strikes the top of the carrier C, instead of contactingwiththe back of the carrier. The coil springs '28 will permit the hingedtrack 27 to swing downwardly should a dog 23 contact with the top of thecarrierC. As soon'as the dog is moved around the sprocket 31 and freesitself from the carrier, the springs 28 will immediately return thehinged track portion to its full line position and the loaded carrierWill move on to the curved portion of the track 30 where itwill beengaged by the next succeeding dog 23. In this way, damage to. eitherthe dog, the'carrier or tothe gravity chute is eliminated.

Figure 3 illustrates how the elevator E will lift the loaded carriers Cupwardly to a point above-the elevated platform H. At'this placethefinger N, shown in detail in Figure 13, will'remove the carriers C fromthe elevator and will transfer them to the gravity portion P of'theendless track. The endless track I is supported by framework indicatedgenerallyat S in Figures 1 and 3. It is unnecessary to go into detail ofhow the track is supported because this forms no part of my invention.

The looped'portion F constitutes an upper storage facility for theloaded vine carriers. These loaded carriers will gravitate to the stop Gwhich constitutes the flansfer station and at which an operator ispositioned while standing on the platform H. The position of the vine atthe stop G is indicated by the dot-dash line 55 in Figure 4. Theoperator removes the vine from the carrier at G and transfers it to thehop-picking machine A. The empty carrier will move along the gravityportion R ofthe endless track 'and' will enter the lower storagemagazine I. This completes the cycle of the carriers because they arenow ready to 'be fed, one at a time, into the feed station by theoperators who attach the D as they are needed vines thereto. a l

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the horizontal endless vinecarrier, shown schematically at A extends from the front of thehop-picking machine A to a point adjacent to the platform H where theoperator, standing I Serial No. 268,840.

, An inverted U-shaped frame'56 supports the lower end of the elevator Eas well as the lower. storage magazine I of the endless track I, seeFigures 1, 2 and 3. The dot- .dash line D in Figure 3 indicates theposition of the feed or loading stationD with respect to the sides oftheinverted U-frame 50. The trucks can drive under the frame 55.

I claim:

1. In a device of the type described: a downwardly inwheels designed totravel along the track by gravity and be guided and supported thereby;an elevator having a' lower sprocket positioned near the track; anendless chain having a portion passed around the lower sprocket and alower reach extending from the lower sprocket; an upper sprocketsupporting the upper end of the chain; carrier moving dogs mounted onthe chain; said track having an upwardly inclined portion parallelingthe lower reach of the chain and having a hinged section disposedadjacent to the lower sprocket; spring means for yieldingly holding thehinged section in operative position where it will interconnect thedownwardly and upwardly inclined track portions so that the wheels ofthe carriers can travel from the downwardly inclined portion, across thehinged section, and up the upwardly inclined portion; said carriersincluding bars that depend from a point between the wheels; the dogs onthe chain being positioned for engaging with the backs of the bars formoving the carriers along the hinged section and onto the upwardlyinclined section; the springs permitting the hinged section to swingdownwardly should a dog engage with the top of the carrier bar ratherthan at its back; whereby the dog would be able to move out of contactwith the bar without damaging it; the spring means returning the hingesection to normal position immediately upon the freeing of the dog fromthe carrier.

2. In a vine carrier and storage apparatus for hoppicking machines: anendless track; a plurality of vine carriers movable along the track;each carrier having means engageable with the stem end of a hop vine tosupport the latter, with the vine depending therefrom; the trackdefining an upper storage magazine into which hop-loaded carriers may beadvanced; this portion of the track being inclined downwardly so thatthe carriers will gravitate therealong to a forward part of the uppermagazine; a stop member positioned to abut the depending hop vines asthey are advanced; this stop member being disposed below the forwardpart of the inclined track of the upper magazine, at a sufficientdistance for passage of the carriers thereover by gravity after the hopvines have been manually removed from the carriers; the track extendingdownwardly beyond the stop, whereby the unloaded carriers will gravitateaway from said magazine.

3. In a vine carrier and storage apparatus for hoppicking machines: anendless track; a plurality of vine carriers movable along the track; thetrack defining a vineloading portion having an entrance end and an exitend; this portion of the track being inclined downwardly so that thecarriers will gravitate therealong from the entrance end to the exitend; an escapement wheel rotatably mounted at said entrance end, andhaving a series of arms movable into the path of the advancing carriers,whereby the wheel will he intermittently turned by the gravitatingcarriers as they pass thereby in succession; the arms of the wheel beingdisposed so as to re case only one carrier at a time for forward travelalong the track; a reciprocable member supported by said track andhaving a pair of stops disposed on opposite sides of the escapementWheel; these stops being positioned to alternately release the wheel forpartial rotation and then enwith the arms to lock the wheel, when saidmember is reciprocated back and forth; a sa ingahly-mounted triggerlocated at the exit end of the vine-loading portion of the track, andbeing positioned to temporarily arrest a carrier at that location, whilea vine is being secured thereto; the trigger being movable into anout-of-the-way position to allow passage of the loaded carriers; andscans operatively connecting the trigger with said reciprocable memberto move the latter and its steps into a position to release theescapement wheel for partial turning to allow another carrier togravitate into the loading portion, when the loaded carrier is manuallyshoved past the trigger so as to swing the latter.

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